Moving towards compassion...and a bunch of other stuff.

So, first things - I finished another hat! This is knit from KP Chroma Worsted. I knit this on size 7s. It's 90 stitches cast-on, about an inch of twisted ribbing then just stockinette. I think I knit the body to about 6" then did decreases in sections of 10.

I love the yarn, I love the striping, I love the colors, I love the fabric. What I don't love is that it's just a wee bit too small. It's long enough, as I've learned that I like my hats to really cover my ears - this is New England, after all. It fits me, but it's fairly tight and I don't think I'm going to wear it. I think it looks adorable on my daughter, and either she can wear it, or all I find someone with an even small and pointier head than mine to give it to. I have more than 1/2 the skein left, so I could knit myself another one. I've got lots of other things to work on, so we'll see.

In other thoughts...I've been struggling to come to a place of compassion. Apparently our local commuter rail stations are targets for bike thieves, with the speculation that people are fencing the stolen bikes for drug money. I had that moment of realization that if you're stealing bikes for drug money, well, your life really, really sucks. My husband and I are so, so blessed. We have our marriage, our family, our home, our health...we have so much. So, bike thief, my guess is you're already living your punishment. And, we'll find the money for a new bike so my sweetie can keep doing the thing he loves to do.

I was incredibly lucky to be able to attend a conference that had the Dalai Lama as a main speaker the first day. They had a panel discussion, where many of the organizers and big names in psychotherapy were able to ask him questions. They all asked questions in a similar vein, along the lines of "So, you say you have to have compassion for everyone. But that's, like, totally impossible! I work with people who were TORTURED! I can't have compassion for those perpetrators. So, what do I do?" And with every question, the Dalai Lama said "No, really, compassion for everyone." (That's, of course, way paraphrased.) I am so far from being a good Buddhist, but it's a philosophy I've been drawn to for about 20 years. But compassion for everyone? Man, that's hard.

We got another foot or so of snow last night, so no school today. The kids have yet to have a complete week of school this calendar year! While we were spending the afternoon outside, I took a bunch of pictures. This isn't quite the picture I wanted to take, but I'm still learning the camera. My main problem was that I couldn't get the angle I wanted, I kept sinking into the snow. I also went wading into the woods in hip-deep snow to get some other shots. Again, they're not quite what I was envisioning. I've been working on using Ken Rockwell's FART technique (my inner 12-year-old boy just snickered) but I clearly need more training and practice.

I cast on the Marsan Watchcap for my friend's dad. I knit a few rows and looked at it. The gentlemen is apparently well-endowed in the cranial sense, if you will, and I just thought...this isn't going to be big enough. The pattern calls for 80 stitches, expecting you to be getting 4 sts to the inch. I was getting closer to 5, so the 96 I cast on was not going to be enough. I restarted it with 112, we'll see. In looking at my Ravelry notes on the one I did for my BIL, who also has a GINORMOUS head, I did 108 stitches, so this should be comparable. I'd like to get it finished this weekend, so I can send it out on Monday. If you're the praying or vibing sort, this gentleman could use some prayers, it's not a good situation.